


Love makes you vulnerable

by KellyLiz



Category: Lizzie Bennet Diaries
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-27
Updated: 2013-06-27
Packaged: 2017-12-16 07:33:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/859532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KellyLiz/pseuds/KellyLiz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lizzie and Darcy have an intimate wedding with family and friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love makes you vulnerable

“How do I look?” Lizzie turned to Lydia from the full-length mirror propped against the wall.

Lydia pursed her lips. “I don’t know if it’s because Darce has made you so happy or because you are finally getting regularly laid, but you are positively glowing.” 

Lizzie threw her arms around Lydia. “Both. I love you, my favorite little sister.”

“As your only little sister, doesn’t that mean I’m also your least favorite?” Lydia tightened her arms around Lizzie.

“That shoe doesn’t fit,” Lizzie laughed and pulled back to look Lydia in the eyes. “You look pretty gorgeous yourself.”

Lydia spun around so that Lizzie can see her pale blue dress fan around her. “Trust Jane to find us awesome dresses. Anyway I came to tell you the photographer is here and wants to take photos of you and your minion of maids of honor first. ” 

“Where are ---“ As if on cue, Jane stepped into the room. “Lizzie, Gigi wants to know if you need to give Darcy any last messages before she ditches him to join the bridal party.”

Lizzie fanned her face with her hand. “Ask him if he is absolutely, positively sure that he wants to marry an emotional, feisty woman who can never keep her hands off him.” 

“ I am pretty sure we all know the answer to that,” laughed Jane. “I’ll tell her to get over here. Charlotte is just outside, checking that the videographers know where to shoot from.”

Lizzie walked over to hug her tall, eldest sister. “And I want to give you preemptive thanks for keeping mom sane today,” she grinned at Jane. “It’s a mammoth job, but I know you are up for it. I’ll pay you back at your wedding.”

Jane beamed at Lizzie. “I have the easier job. Your wedding has about one-tenth as many guests as mine. I’m still not sure how Bing’s mom has turned it into such an extravaganza. It’s so nice you and Darcy are getting married with just your families and your closest friends.”

Gigi burst into the room. “Lizzie, you look amazing! William is about to climb the walls counting down the minutes. He keeps pulling out his pocket watch every 2 seconds.”

Lizzie’s eyes softened. “I can hardly wait also.” She mentally kicked herself for her decision that she and William not see each other before the ceremony. “It’s not because I’m superstitious,” she had told him, “but because I don’t trust myself to keep my hands off of you once I see you on our wedding day.” She walked back to the mirror as Gigi and Lydia started to trade stories about Lizzie’s recent bachelorette party. She was so happy, it positively scared her. How could she be so lucky? Did she deserve this remarkable man, this miraculous, deep love? “Lizzie?” Jane’s voice was quiet. “Is anything wrong?”

“Do you ever wonder why some of us have so much, while so many others have so little? Does that ever freak you out, thinking of what we have and what we could lose?” Lizzie looked at Jane’s eyes in the mirror’s reflection.

“Of course. But we can’t spend our lives worrying about what might happen or we’ll miss the joy in what we have right now. I’m pretty sure life will throw us many ups and downs along the way. We will be able to deal with whatever comes our way.”

“I don’t think I could deal with losing William,” Lizzie admitted. “I’m not sure I’m that strong.”

“Why would you lose Darcy? He adores you and would never leave you.”

“I know,” Lizzie paused. “But he lost his parents unexpectedly, and I’ve seen how that affected him and Gigi. And I love him so much, the thought of him losing me also terrifies me. Is that crazy? I’m actually worried how my soon-to-be husband will manage if something happens to me?”

Jane shook her head. “It’s not crazy, but you can’t obsess over it. I think it just freaks you out that you have more to lose now. And you care enough about Darcy to imagine what he would go through without you.”

Gigi stepped up behind Lizzie, her eyes misty. She had overheard the last part of the conversation, and she wrapped her arms around Lizzie’s waist. “I love you, Lizzie, and I love having a new sister. William and I did lose our parents too young. But it also taught us to never to take each other for granted, and to count our blessings every day. That’s a gift.”

“You’re both right, I’m sorry,” Lizzie sniffed. She made an effort to put aside her gnawing worry. “It’s the happiest day of my life, and I don’t know why I can’t just relax and enjoy this. Speaking of counting blessings, have I told all of you how much you mean to me?”

“Enough of the angst-y drama!” Lydia cried. “We love you too, blah, blah, blah. Now let’s go look gorgeous for that hot photographer.” Lydia had a knack for knowing how to lighten Lizzie’s mood. Lizzie blew a kiss at her.

Lizzie smiled and linked arms with Gigi and Jane as they started towards the door. She hadn’t seen William since yesterday, and she missed his calm, reassuring presence. But she also had the best sisters and friends in the world.

***  
Darcy turned to Fitz. “Are you sure there’s nothing else I need to do? It feels like we’ve been waiting for hours back here.”

Fitz sighed dramatically. “Dude, you need to lighten up. Lizzie and her maids of honor are still getting their pictures taken. It’s been 10 minutes since the last time you badgered me. I promise you, time will pass and you will get married this afternoon, and you will get some action with Lizzie B tonight. Wait—I can still call her Lizzie B even when she’s Lizzie B-D, right?”

“That’s between you and Lizzie,” Darcy muttered, his mind clearly elsewhere. He’d been looking forward to this day for months and now the minutes dragged by excruciatingly slow. He’d missed having Lizzie beside him last night, and he was anxious to begin their life as a married couple together. Not having anything to do the last hour before the wedding was taking its toll on his nerves. 

Bing laughed as he clapped a hand on Darcy’s back. “I hope I’m not this edgy before my wedding. You’re taking this to a new level, Darcy.”

“You may not show your impatience as much as me, but I know you’ll probably feel the same, Bing.” Darcy looked sideways as his cheerful friend. Bing covered his feelings better when he was worried or upset than Darcy, but Darcy knew how much Bing loved Jane. Darcy had felt guilt for months after Bing left Jane whenever he saw his friend’s eyes with that hollow look behind them.

“William!” Gigi popped her head around the slightly ajar door. “How are you holding up? We just finished the bridal party pictures. The photographer wants to take a few of you and your best men.”

“How’s Lizzie?” Darcy asked quickly. “Is she nervous, or ……” He couldn’t bring himself to finish that sentence. He knew Lizzie loved him and was anxious to marry him. But he also knew how she could get very emotional on such an important day. Normally he helped calm her down when needed. “You are so amazing, Will. You ground me,” she had told him.

“She’s good,” Gigi said slowly. “She’s really happy and had some worries a little while ago. But now she’s just antsy and says we need to get this show on the road.”

“What was she worried about?” Darcy felt his heartbeat pick up.

Gigi walked over to stand next to him. “Losing you, like we lost our parents. She can’t imagine life without you, William.”

Darcy looked down, his hands fisted in his pockets. He wanted to go to Lizzie right now, wedding or no wedding. “It’s okay,” Gigi laid a hand on his arm. “We talked to her and she’s feeling happy and excited and all the things a bride should feel now.”

Darcy nodded, and consciously made his shoulder muscles relax. He would be Lizzie’s husband soon. There would be time for her to tell him about her fear, a fear he understood all too well.

***  
Lizzie’s mother held her left arm, and her father held her right as they waited for Jane, the last maid of honor to walk up the aisle. Mrs. Bennet was trying not to tear up, and she was uncharacteristically quiet. Mr. Bennet smiled as he turned towards Lizzie. “Are you ready? I’m not sure I’m ready to give up my beautiful daughter.”

“Yes, dad.” Lizzie smiled. “I am.”

“We’re happy for you, Lizzie,” her dad motioned around the corner where Darcy stood out of their view. “He clearly thinks the world of you and you adore him. Just remember we’d like to still be a part of your life.”

Lizzie leaned up to kiss his cheek and squeezed her mother’s arm. “Always.”

***

William hadn’t realized how tense he was until he finally saw Lizzie and he felt his body relax. She looked radiantly beautiful and her eyes stayed on him, and only him, the entire walk up the aisle. When she finally reached him, and he took her hand, he felt her slightly shaking. He knew it was due to the depth of emotion she was feeling. She smiled up at him with such warmth, love and happiness that his breath caught. The ceremony passed quickly; time finally raced ahead after dragging for hours. 

Lizzie was his wife. Their kiss was just a fraction too long in front of others, not even close to long enough for each other. He gave her his arm and they walked down the aisle to their friends cheering and clapping (including a few wolf whistles from Fitz). “So, Mrs. Bennet-Darcy,” William smiled down at his staggering wife. “I was hoping you would save me the first dance.”

Lizzie beamed at him. “Besides one dance for my father, all my dances are with you tonight. Including a special, ahem, very private dance after we get to our hotel.” 

***  
Lizzie chortled as she overhead Fitz regaling his end of the wedding party table with a story he had read online. William turned to her with a raised eyebrow. “Maybe I shouldn’t have encouraged the diary viewers to create epic adventures about us,” she admitted. “There’s a good amount of material concerning our sex life.”

“Really?” William’s stare became more intense. “Any recommendations?”

“Yes, don’t read any of them prior to a meeting at work,” Lizzie advised. “It can cause some …discomfort.”

“Is that why you burst into my office at noon last week and dragged me home for ‘lunch’?” William smirked.

“Perhaps that added to my thoughts about your, um, many charms,” Lizzie blushed. “William, you’re going to need to stop staring at me like that so I can make it through our reception.” She loved his eyes, his amazing, expressive gaze that never failed to cause a thrill to go down her spine.

“You make it difficult wearing that dress.” William dropped his eyes to her cleavage and progressed further down to the curve of her hips, and the outline of her thighs through the clingy material. He was interrupted in his perusal by the clinking of spoons against many glasses. “Perfect timing,” he said to Lizzie, leaning in for another long kiss amid cheers.

***  
Gigi walked up next to her brother, who was watching Lizzie being photographed with her arms draped around Jane and Lydia, all three teasing, talking over each other and laughing. “What’s it like to be an old married man, William?” She carefully studied him with a nonchalant expression.

William turned to her, and gave her the small half-smile rarely seen except with Gigi and Lizzie. “I have to admit, I’m going to like being Lizzie’s other half.”

“You’d better,” Gigi gave him a mock-frown. “I put in a lot of work to help you two connect when Lizzie shadowed Pemberly. And I want to keep her as my sister.”

“Not to worry Gigi,” William said. “I won’t blow it again. Thanks again for being my best wingman. Not that you had much competition. Fitz was pathetic.”

Gigi hugged her brother and laughed. “Fitz did redeem himself a little, later. I’ll miss you two when you’re on your honeymoon, but you must absolutely promise me not to call or text more than once a week. You and Lizzie deserve some time alone.”

“Only if you promise to contact us at any time if you need anything or want to talk. Lizzie and I will always be there for you.”

Gigi smiled. “I know. I’ll be spending extra time with Fitz and Brandon while you’re gone. And I’ll be doing homework, as usual.” She grinned as Lizzie looked around for William, spotted them and then beckoned them over to join the Bennet sisters for some photos. “I feel lucky we have a new family that has adopted us two.”

William nodded soberly and met Gigi’s eyes. They always connected at least once on every special occasion to think about their parents.

***

Charlotte dropped into the empty chair next to Lizzie. Lizzie’s eyes were glued on her husband and Fitz, a short distance away standing by the wall. Fitz had taken to his care package executive position with gusto, and was showing Darcy a small bag labeled “For the Honeymoon Hiatus”. Lizzie saw William start to pull out a small piece of material that looked lacy before stuffing it back in the bag. Charlotte followed the direction of Lizzie’s eyes and laughed. “A lot has changed since the first wedding you were at with Darcy,” she commented. 

“Yes,” Lizzie smiled happily, her gaze resting on William proprietarily before sweeping across the dance floor. “Although Jane and Bing look pretty much the same, making lovesick eyes at each other.”

“How are you holding up, bestie?” Charlotte grinned at Lizzie.

“Wonderful. I’m so glad Will and I were able to have a small wedding with all of the people we love here. And I get to go on a looooong, relaxing honeymoon tomorrow.” Lizzie sighed.

“Is everything going okay with your company?” Charlotte knew Lizzie’s tones and something felt off.

Lizzie looked askew at Charlotte. She couldn’t get much past her oldest friend. “I don’t know,” she said. “I still love it, but I miss just working on the creative side more. The finance and management of the entire company is not my forte. My company is still relatively small. It feels like more and more of my time will be taken up with the management part as we grow.”

“Have you thought of bringing in a partner? Someone who actually likes running the company, so you could instead head up new project development?”

“Yes, but I’m afraid it would look as if I failed or given up.” Lizzie admitted. 

“Lizzie!” Charlotte stated emphatically. “You don’t need to answer to anyone. And your company has already proven to be a success so there is no failure involved. You need to do what makes you feel happy and fulfilled, or it isn’t worth it.”

Lizzie turned to look at Charlotte full on with a wry smile on her face. “I know you’re right. I guess I’m just working up the courage to make that decision. And I’ll have to figure out who would be a good fit as my partner.”

Charlotte paused. “I might know someone. She’s been working in the industry over 2 years, has excellent managerial and time management skills, knows her way around a spreadsheet, and gets along well with obstinate, narcissistic but amazingly creative types.”

Lizzie’s eyes opened wide and her jaw dropped. “Charlotte! Would you actually be willing to leave Collins & Collins?”

Charlotte laughed and admitted, “I’ve been looking around. I’m getting a bit sick of a certain investor looming over my shoulder questioning every decision I make. Let’s just say I might prefer a different corporate culture.”

Lizzie squealed and hugged her friend. “If you are serious and want to do it, I’m in! We can get together after my honeymoon and discuss terms if you want. I’m prepared to make you a full partner, and co-owner of my company.”

Charlotte beamed. “I’ll put a meeting on your calendar for three weeks from Monday.” Charlotte and Lizzie leaned apart and shared a smile. Lizzie felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders. The thought of working again with Charlotte felt right.

***  
William took his wife’s hand and they ran through a crowd of their guests waving and calling good-bye. He groaned when he saw his car, fully decorated with bow ties, tin cans, and a “Finally Married” sign on the back. He opened the passenger door for Lizzie, who carefully swung her satin encased legs into the car and then folded himself into the driver’s seat. “Your friends found your car,” she noted with a smile. “I didn’t think you’d be able outfox Fitz, Gigi and Bing.”

“I tried. But I was more occupied with other more important matters.” William smiled at her and covered her hand with his. “Happy?” he asked.

“I’m not sure there’s a word that adequately describes how happy I am.” Lizzie’s smile was joyful. “I love you, William Darcy.”

“I love you too, Lizzie Bennet-Darcy.”

“I have a confession to make. It wasn’t just to keep me from wanting to grope you that we couldn’t see each other before the wedding. I wanted it to be the first time you saw me in my wedding gown when I was walking down the aisle ready to commit to you.” Lizzie leaned across the car and pulled William closer. “You have the sexiest intense stare and I love seeing that look on your face.” William kissed her, forgetting where they were for a few minutes until the sounds of their guests banging on the car caused them to pull back, laughing. “Maybe we’d better head off to the hotel for some much needed privacy,” he rasped, hoarsely.

They checked into the hotel and arrived at the honeymoon suite door. William put his arm around Lizzie, pulling her small frame to his side. “How are you really doing, Lizzie? Gigi mentioned---“

“Let’s not talk about that on our wedding night, Will.” Lizzie interrupted. “Along with my vows to you, I made a vow to myself today. I plan to fully cherish every day that I get to have with you, one day at a time.”

William looked down into his wife’s eyes. ”You are the most amazing woman.” He scooped her up in his arms after swiping the keycard to open the door to their hotel room and stepped carefully over the threshold. “I cannot believe how fortunate I am to have the love of my life as my wife, my partner, and my best friend.” He carried her carefully to the bed and set her down gently on the cover, following closely with his own body. Later there would be a striptease dance, lovemaking, laughter and eventually sleep, but for a long moment now as he just held her, they reveled in their first moments alone together as husband and wife.


End file.
